Zelfs

I figure that by this point in the week, we could all use a hug from a teddy bear. I don’t have a lot of time on Thursdays for writing as it’s a big skating practice day for me, but I also figured I can grab a few moments to take a picture or two of a friendly bear. So here’s a big friendly hug and squidge from Christabel Bear. Christabel is a very special, one of a kind, handmade teddy bear sewn from satin and recycled chocolate-colored sheepskin, and she’s one of my treasures. She’s quiet, calm, peaceful, hopeful, very loving, thoughtful, and consoling–just the kind of person you’d want to spend some time with if you were having a hard day. She loves chocolate cookies and chocolate tea cake and chocolate covered raisins and chocolate brownies and chocolate fudge sundaes… well, you get the idea. 🙂

But who’s this on her lap? Oh my goodness, how did she get there? Well, anyway… yes, this is someone entirely new to A Doll’s Picnic!

I won’t say much about her now, because I’m looking forward to sharing much more about her in the future, but I’ll give you a few clues: her name is Lucy, and pixies love to have their photos taken!

Sitting with Christabel this morning is my newest American Girl doll, a very lovely treasure I recently rescued from eBay: an original 1995 Girl of Today #11 doll. I haven’t named her yet, but I’d like to use the letter “M.” Any ideas? I’m thinking of “Morgan” or maybe “Marissa”… but I’m definitely open to suggestions. By the way, you may remember my first #11 doll, Elodie Rain, whom I found on eBay last autumn, and who appeared here on the blog a couple of times. She was beautiful and unique, but didn’t end up staying with us long, since I just didn’t bond with her. And now I know why! This lovely, special Pre-Mattel lady was in my doll-collecting future! I adore the original Girls of Today, though I’ve never (yet) had one become a permanent part of my collection. I’m hoping this girl will be a keeper, because she’s truly amazing:

Her rosy coloring is so fabulous. And her eyelashes! I could go on, but soon I’ve got to run, so let me introduce you our two other little friends.

This is Bella Blossom, a cheery cherry blossom Zelf whose zelfie power is learning!

Don’t you love the word September ? I do… and the month that bears the name, too. September has so many poetic associations: cooler nights, chilly school mornings, the end of summer, new beginnings, new adventures, the first turning leaves, the first rains of autumn, the first powder-sugar snows on the mountain peaks. The sunshine is still warm and strong, but the angle of the sun is rapidly changing now, and the days are suddenly growing shorter.

You may have noticed that A Doll’s Picnic took a bit of a sabbatical this summer. A summer full of change has given me an opportunity to rethink my collecting, among other things. It’s always been important to me to love each doll in my collection equally; I can’t bear to just have them sitting on my shelves gathering dust when they’re meant to be played with and loved. From the very beginning of my enthusiasm for dolls I’ve released those I don’t feel as excited about or bonded with–originally giving them away to family members, and more recently, selling them on eBay. These last few months I’ve reduced my collection quite a bit. I’ve been collecting, too, however… I just can’t help it! I’ve been moving back toward my first love, American Girl dolls, just in time for Maryellen’s debut. I’m bonding more with the dolls in my collection more than I have in several years, and I look forward to sharing them here as I have always planned to do–through reviews, doll brand comparisons, and photo stories. So please be patient with me and stay tuned! More doll magic is on the way!

More than anything else, though, the end of summer is a reminder to me to appreciate the place we live, droughty though it is at present. The clean, pure air (once again free from wildfire smoke!), our quiet, peaceful neighborhood, the change of seasons… these are all things to be deeply grateful for. Somehow it is too easy to get caught up in the obligations of daily life and forget that we have so many natural wonders at our fingertips, so to speak. This Labor Day weekend is a refreshing opportunity to get back outside and reacquaint ourselves with our first love, nature.

Three of my favorite Zelfies accompanied us on a short trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park in August for the annual Dark Sky Festival. Lassen Park is one of the secrets of Northern California, and one of my favorite places on earth. We camped; we hiked; we gazed at waterfalls; we built campfires; we looked at the fabulously dark sky.

Elfa Zelfie advises: find yourself a clear stream rambling through a meadow and take off your shoes and socks!

Thank you, Never Grow Up, for introducing me to the Zelfs! I love these bright, quirky, whimsical little friends. They remind me of childhood, My Little Ponies, colorful pens and pencils, and the realm of the imagination. They are also the perfect size to slip into a purse or bag, and are refreshingly inexpensive to collect! Best of all, they love to pose for photos!